News and Events

Spring Newsletter 2017

It’s Budburst once again and that means time to release your Spring “Cast Off” Pack.

The first 3 wines in your Spring Pack come from the 2017 vintage. Hot dry conditions prevailed throughout the growing season. All fruit was harvested in excellent condition, ripe and with great flavours. The 2017 Old Vines Semillon displays all the typical characters of a potentially great Belford Semillon. Lemon and citrus fruit dominating both the nose and palate, with racy acid to finish. Enjoy while young, but remember cellaring will result in great rewards! The 2017 vintage meant we picked our Pinot Grigio slightly earlier than recent years. The resulting wine is a little more “Grigio” in style, slightly lower in alcohol, a little crisper on the palate, with more granny smith apple and nashi pear.

We have included our Mosto in this Spring Pack after you missing it for the last couple of years. Once again dry conditions allowed us to harvest fruit fully ripe for this year’s wine. The juice was concentrated before fermentation to enhance the fruit and acidity. Bottled early to retain its natural spritz, this is a great Summer wine served cold over crushed ice or a chilled accompaniment with fresh fruit desserts.

The 2016 Reserve Chardonnay comes from grapes grown on the sandy loams soils of our Pothana Vineyard. Picked slightly earlier than the Old Vines, and cool fermented, the resulting wine is a refreshing modern Australian style Chardonnay to be enjoyed while it is young and lively.

The remaining 2 wines come from our Central Ranges Vineyards at Orange. The 2016 Vermentino is only our second release of this wine. This year’s wine is more refined, however, still full-flavoured with the characteristic salinity and slight almond bitterness. We are constantly intrigued by this variety and believe it has great potential.

The last wine in your pack is the 2014 De Novo Bianco. A blend of varieties from Orange. We have held this wine back for release so the wine has time to mature and the layers of fruit have had time to integrate. This is an intriguing wine with its complex aromas and taste. A wonderful food wine – a match for all hearty dishes which play with richness and spice.

We have enjoyed a mild Autumn and dry Winter in the past months. The Hunter continues to thrive as a popular destination and a relaxing tasting at our cellar seems to be just the antidote needed for time out from busy schedules.

and the much anticipated 2014 Molly Morgan single vineyard plus our 2012 Old Vines Semillon (97 points 2018 James Halliday Top Semillons) will also be available very soon.

We have experienced a mild Autumn and dry Winter and our cellar team have enjoyed seeing many of you in the past months. The Hunter continues to thrive as a popular destination and a relaxing tasting at the cellar cellar seems to be just the antidote needed for time out from busy schedules.

If you are heading to the Hunter please call ahead to book a tasting and remember there is no tasting charge for you or your guests. We love showing you our range and discussing our new releases.

Many visitors to our cellar often drop by on your recommendation and we do appreciate that so many of you are happy to spread the word.

Budburst and Spring are not far away and there is a buzz about as we commence the new season, so we hope to see you at our cellar soon to renew acquaintances and suggest some wines to top up your cellar.

Enjoy your Spring Cast Off Pack.

Happy Drinking

David Hook

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